Hamlet

[DoctorJones24]

Current order for ROUND SIX

DocJ24........Remembrance
JackT
Dr. Wank
CJ Herr
LeperK
Jose C
Mike K
Obie
Mr. Ac
Asfool
Peth
Gringo
Ghost
Irvine
Jacen

Anybody heard from Jack Tarim lately?
Also, Jacen owes us 4 more for earlier rounds. I'll post an updated full list once a few more people respond to the newcomers.

[LeperKhan]

The Bible? I guess I'll go with yes, although I've not read it cover to cover. I'd say I've read enough of it at one time or another to count it as a yes.

[DoctorJones24]

Originally posted by LeperKhan
The Bible? I guess I'll go with yes, although I've not read it cover to cover. I'd say I've read enough of it at one time or another to count it as a yes.

Yeah, we'll have to get a bit generous with people responding to the Bible. Let's say if you remember reading at least the major books of the Old Test, most of the 4 Gospels, and say, Revelations...that would count.

[irvine]

I actually did read the bible cover to cover once. My dad gave me ten bucks to do it when I was 12. Since then, I've probably looked through all of the books again at one time or another. A fascinating but extremely cracked and wonky text.

[pething101]

Currently plowing through the Bible at the moment. I have to agree with Irvine's review so far.

[Michael K.]

Finnegans Wake-No
The Tale of Genji-No
Stranger in a Strange Land-No
The Name of the Rose-No
Remembrance of Things Past - No
Uncle Tom's Cabin - No
The Bible - I've heard plenty of bits of it, but I've never sat down and read it
The Good Soldier Svejk - Began it (and it was great) but I didn't even get 1/4 of the way through.

[DoctorJones24]

Speaking of reading the Bible, I guess I could share my one act of cheating in college: on my "Biblical Theology" final. In my defense, it was a ridiculous class in rote memorization taught by a total pedant. Basically, he was less interested in discussing the ideas, imagery, history, etc, than in seeing if we could remember who begat who begat who, and so on. So I hid some notes under the trash can in the men's bathroom nearest our class. Took a nice long bathroom break midway, and squeaked by with a C in the class. Not proud, but not terribly penitent for it either.

[Ghost]

The Bible? IS that fair? I'll go with yes.

What exactly does "cracked and wonky" mean, Irvine.

I haven't seen a post from Jack in a long time. Itr'd be nice to hear from him.

[Jacen McCullough]

Originally posted by Ghost
The Bible? IS that fair? I'll go with yes.



I figured it was a toss up. For fundamentalist Christians, the Bible is the Word of God, which would make it sort of non-fiction and not qualified. To many Christians, it's seen as a book of parables, which would make it spiritual fiction and thus admissable. Then there is the opinion of dear deceased Isaac Asimov, a professed Atheist and Biblical scholar, who referred to the Bible as the best science fiction novel ever written. :D I figured I'd toss it out there. I've read parts, and heard most of it verbally at church, but I've never read the whole thing. I'll catch up with 4 more when it's not 3:30 AM!

JMac

[Jose L. Couso]

The Bible-No.

[irvine]

Originally posted by Ghost
The Bible? IS that fair? I'll go with yes.

What exactly does "cracked and wonky" mean, Irvine.


Well, it's a book that has erotic poetry next to fairly frenzied denunciations of the body; the beauty of the psalms next to the incredible (and approved) cynicism of Lot trying to placate the crowd with his daughters in Sodom and Gomorrah; exhortations to exterminate competing tribes (except for their young women who are to be raped and enslaved) set next to lamentations about slavery and wishes for peace; and so on. An utterly loopy and incoherent book that despite this is captivating and a great read; the best and worst of humanity all rolled into one. Especially the King James Version for the poetry of the language.

[Dr. Wankler]

Yes on The Bible.

[Ghost]

Originally posted by irvine


Well, it's a book that has erotic poetry next to fairly frenzied denunciations of the body; the beauty of the psalms next to the incredible (and approved) cynicism of Lot trying to placate the crowd with his daughters in Sodom and Gomorrah; exhortations to exterminate competing tribes (except for their young women who are to be raped and enslaved) set next to lamentations about slavery and wishes for peace; and so on. An utterly loopy and incoherent book that despite this is captivating and a great read; the best and worst of humanity all rolled into one. Especially the King James Version for the poetry of the language.

Irvine,

No actually i meant, generally speaking what do the words "cracked and wonky" mean, not so much what you ment by applying them to the Bible. It must be slang that I'm just not hep to, Cat. :) Didn't mean any offense by that or by the "IS that fair?" comment. Both were made in jest. I'll make better use of emoticons in the future. :)

[Dr. Wankler]

Originally posted by irvine


Well, it's a book that has erotic poetry next to fairly frenzied denunciations of the body; the beauty of the psalms next to the incredible (and approved) cynicism of Lot trying to placate the crowd with his daughters in Sodom and Gomorrah; exhortations to exterminate competing tribes (except for their young women who are to be raped and enslaved) set next to lamentations about slavery and wishes for peace; and so on. An utterly loopy and incoherent book that despite this is captivating and a great read; the best and worst of humanity all rolled into one. Especially the King James Version for the poetry of the language.

The most useful way to approach the bible (one utterly unfavored by fundies of course) is as a portable library, not a single, unitary book. That's probably not news to people involved in this discussion, but some people might find it helpful.

By the way, Irvine, I'm on the waiting list for your book at the local library. I should be taking it out for a test-read in 3-4 weeks.

[Jacen McCullough]

Originally posted by Dr. Wankler


By the way, Irvine, I'm on the waiting list for your book at the local library. I should be taking it out for a test-read in 3-4 weeks.


I'm on the waiting list at Waldenbooks. It seems the one I go to has sold out their first order. Good sign! BTW, here are a couple more to help catch me up to the crowd. I should need two more after this, right?


Ethan Frome
Out of Africa



Both of which I was supposed to read, but boredom precluded me from getting past the 3rd chapter in either one. :)

JMac

[Jose L. Couso]

Ethan Frome-No
Out of Africa-No

[DoctorJones24]

Originally posted by Jose L. Couso
Ethan Frome-No
Out of Africa-No

Again, what Jose said.

[irvine]

Sorry, thought you were asking me to explain my opinion rather than my terminology. "Cracked" as in irrational or incoherent and "wonky" as in just plain weird.

Originally posted by Ghost

No actually i meant, generally speaking what do the words "cracked and wonky" mean, not so much what you ment by applying them to the Bible.

[irvine]

Waiting list? You mean more than one person was interested? Neat.

Also good news about Jacen's Waldenbooks. I feel a groundswell of word-of-mouth coming on...

I have read neither Ethan Frome nor Out of Africa, and I don't regret missing either one.


Originally posted by Dr. Wankler


By the way, Irvine, I'm on the waiting list for your book at the local library. I should be taking it out for a test-read in 3-4 weeks.

[Michael K.]

Originally posted by irvine

I have read neither Ethan Frome nor Out of Africa, and I don't regret missing either one.




I can't remember if Out Of Africa is by Dinesen or about Dinesen. In any event, I've got a book of Dinesen's short stories around here somewhere, and they're pretty good.